Internal combustion engine



July 13, 1937. H. c. EpwARDs 2,086,609

INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE Filed Oct. 6, 1952 3 Sheets-Sheet l JMWHEHE/EET C EEA/5R05.

llowm July' 13, 1937. H, C, EDWARDS 2,086,609

INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE Juvly 13, 1937. H, C EDWARDS y 2,086,609

INTERNAL COMBUS TION ENGINE Filed 0G13. 6, 1952 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 gmwnlozPatented July 13, 1931 PATENT OFFICE INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE HerbertC. Edwards, Detroit, Mich., assigner to Packard Motor Car Company,Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Michigan Application October 6, 1932,Serial No. 636,455

6 Claims.

y 'I'his invention relates to internal combustion engines and moreparticularly to multi-bank cylinder engines of the type in which fueland air are iortroduced separately into the combustion cham- 5 IS.

An object of my invention resides in theprovision of mechanism in amulti-bank cylinder engine which can be remotely controlled to re'-lieve compression in one bank of cylinders where- 10 by the crank shaftcan be more easily turned in starting.

Still another object of my invention resides in mechanism for relievingcompression in some of the cylinders of an internal combustion engine.

15 Othery objects of the invention will appear from .the followingdescription taken in connection with the drawings, which form a part of`this specification, and in whichz' Fig. 1 is a fragmentary end view ofa multi-bank radial engine, partly in section and partly brokenavielily, having my invention incorporated there-V W l Fig. 2 is afragmentary sectional view of the engine taken on line 2--2 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional viewof the engine taken substantially'online 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view of the engine taken substantially on line4--4 of Fig. 3 showing the mechanism for connecting the two sets of fuel30 control devices each of which is associated with one of the banks ofcylinders;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken on line 5 5 of Fig. 3 illustrating lapart of the actuating means for the compression relief mechanism;

Fig. 6 is a vertical sectional view of the engine taken on line 6-6 ofFig. 3 with the front end wall `broken away;

Fig. '1 is a fragmentary view taken on line 1--1 of Fig. 6 illustratingrocker levers for'actuating 4 0 the fuel injection device and the inletand exhaust valve operating mechanism.

vReferring now to the drawings by characters of reference, the numeralIll represents a barrel type crank case having a removable front end 4 5wall II and a removable rear end wall l2, such Awalls being secured tothe crank case by means of bolts as indicated at I3. Within the crankcase, I provide a. pair of transversely extendingwalls I4 l which are ldetachably secured in position by 50 bolts as indicated at I5.Intermediate the walls I4 isl another transversely extending wall I6which has associated therewith studs I1 adapted to extend through thecrank case. axially of the crank case through the bearing 65 portions ofthe walls I4 and I6 is a crankshaft Extending (Cl. 12S-182) I8 on theforward end of which is mounted a propeller for aeroplanes (not shown).Suitable roller bearings, as indicated at I9, are arranged in the wallsI4 forcarrying the crank shaft. The crank shaft is formed with a largecircular bear- 5 ing portion 20 which engages in the bearing portion 2lof the wall I6. On each side of the bearing portion of the crank shaftproject crank pins 22. 1

Thecrank case is formed with two rows of 10 openings into whichcylinders 23 extend, and such openings in the two rows are staggeredrelatively and thus there are two banks of radially extending cylinders,the cylinders in one bank being arranged intermediate the cylinders ofthe other bank, looking at the ends of the engine.

"I'he cylinders are formed with flanges 24 and around the forward endsof the flanges of the front bank of cylinders and the rear flanges ofthe rear bank of cylinders are provided hoop means, as indicated at 25,which are placed in tension greater than that developed therein by anyforces developed in the engine during operation. Suitable means, such asa turn-buckle, in-

dicated at 26, are employed for placing these hoops or bands in tension.The adjacent flanges of the cylinders in the two banks are formed sothat they intert and suitable crabs 21 engage adjacent edge portions ofsuch cylinder flanges in the two banks. The studs II each projectthrough a crab and nuts 28 are threaded on the studs and are'screweddown to place the wall I6 and the studs I1 in tension greater than thatdeveloped therein by explosion forces in the cyl inders. 'I'his mannerof holding the cylinders yupon a crank case forms the subject matter ofmy Patent No. 1,933,246 issued October 31, 1933, and no claim is .madethereto in this application. Pistons 29 are arranged for reciprocationin each of the cylinders and connecting rods 30 are 40 pivotally carriedby the master rod hubs 3|, the master rods being connected to one of thepistons in each bank. This piston connection is of a conventional formand each hub encircles one of the crank pins 22.

The engine illustrated is of the four-stroke cycle type. 'Ihe head ofeach cylinder is provided wlth an inlet valve 32 and an outlet valve 33(Fig. 1) which control inlet and outlet pa'sg sages extending throughthe head. These valves are normally closed by coil springs 34 whichengage with retainers 35 secured on the valve stems and the valvesy areopened through the operation of rocker levers 36 which are actuated bytappet mechanisms or push rods 31 and 38 (Fig. 3), the 55 which mesheswith the gear 55. Such gearing admitted into the cylinders through theinlet passages and the exhaust gases leave the cylindersthrough theoutlet passages. 'Ihe piston heads are formed with a depressed end wallin order that they may closely approach the cylinder heads and, at thesame time, have a clear-'- ance-fory the inlet and outlet valves. Thecombustion .chambers are dened by the head portions of the cylindersand. the end wall of their associated pistons.4

Associated with each cylinder is a fuel injection device which consistsgenerally of a nozzle section 39 and a pump section 40 (Fig. l). Thefuel injection devices for the front bank of cylinders are associatedwitlLthe forward wall portion thereof while the injection devices forthe rear bank of cylinders are associated with the rearmost wallportions thereof. 'I'he nozzle sections of the devices can be of anyconventional character, however, Patent No. 1,690,893 of November 6,1928 to Hermann Dorner can be referred `to as a specific example. Thepump section of 'each device consists of a casing 4I having va barrelportion 42 therein and a plunger 43 reciprocable in the barrel. 'I'heplunger includes an enlarged guide portion 44 which bears against theinterior wall 'of the casing and is pressed toward the crank case bymeans of the coil spring 45 arranged within the casing. The casing andthe barrel are provided with radially extending ports, as indicated at46. A manifold 41 extends around each of the banks of cylinders and eachis in communication with the ports 46 of the injection devicesassociated with the adjacent bank of cylinders. Oil is supplied to themanifold under low pressure by suitable pump means (not shown) so that,whenever the plungers 43 uncover the passages 46, the barrels will beopen to the manifold and will be maintained full of oil.l

-through the crank case and serve as the bearing for the push rodsections 48. The push rods for -the devices associated with the rearbank of cylinders extend into a compartment 5I (Fig. 3)

formed by the walls I2 and I4 while the pu'shrods for the injectiondevices associated with the forward bank of cylinders extend into acompartment 52 in the crank case which is formed by the walls II and I4.The push rods for the valves associated with the rear bank of cylindersextend into the compartment 5I and the push rods for the valves for theforward bank of cylinders extend into the compartment 52.

'I'he mechanisms for operating the push rods for the valves and theinjection devices in each of the compartments are similar and thereforeI will describe only one of such mechanisms. Fixed to the crank shaft isa gear'f53 which meshes with a gear 54carried by a shaft on which a gear55 is fixed. Rotatably mounted on the crank shaft is a cammember 56having aninternal gear 51 provides a reductidn drive from the crankshaft -to the cam member which, in 'this instance, is an 8' to 1 ratio.Within each end compartment -are mounted in the wall I6 and the'frontwall I 4, the

stud shafts 58 lwhich are fixed to the walls I4. Each of such shafts hasthree rock levers 53, 69 and 6I pivotally mounted thereon and nuts 62engage the shafts to secure 'the levers axially 'in position. Rocklevers 68 are engaged `by the exhaust valve push rods 38, the rocklevers 6I are engaged by the inlet valve push rods 31 and the rocklevers 59 are engaged by the push rods 49 associated with the fuelinjection devices. The rock levers 69 and 6I carry rollers 63 and therock levers 59 have abutments 64 associated therewith which bear againstthe cam members 56. Such cam members have three rows of lobes 561, 562,563 which rotate in zones to actuate the rock levers and thereby movethem in a direction which imparts movement to the push rods for thevalves and injection devices.

'I'he outer faces of the rock levers 59 are formed withv a groove 65 atthe free end thereof which curves longitudinally, and the section 49 ofthe tappets for operating the fuel injection devices` are slidablelongitudinally of the levers in such grooves. Adjustment of -the tappetsections toward the kfree end of theassociated rock levers will lengthenthe plunger stroke after closing the ports 46, while movement toward thepivoted ends of the rock levers will decrease the plunger stroke andthus the quantity and timing of the fuel' charges can be regulated.Rotatably. carried by each wall vI4 is a ring 66 and links 61 pivotallyconnect each of the tappet sections 49 with the adjacent ring. On therear ring is fixed a rack 68 (Fig. l) with which a gear 69 is in mesh,and

this gear is fixed on a shaft 19 whichYV extends vthrough the crank caseI8. An arm 1I is fixed to the projecting` end of the shaft carrying thegear 69 and mechanism, as indicated at 12, is associated with the arm sothat it can be rotated from a distance. Rotation of the rear ring 66will shift the contact position of the tappet sections of the injectionmechanism for the rear bank of cylinders, and thus the stroke of theplungers 43 after closing the passages 46 will be varied and likewisewill vary the time of closure. I'hus the rear injection devices can besimultaneously regulated both as to quantity of the delivered chargesand the time of delivery relative to the piston position.

It is desirable that the front ring 66 operate uniformly andsimultaneously with the rear ring so that all of the injection devicescan be regulated similarly and together by a single manipulation uponthe part of the operator. To this end, I arrange a rock shaft 13 withinthe crank case between two of the cylinders in the rear bank andpivotally mount it in the wall I6 and the rear wall I4 with an endextending into the rear compartment. An arm 14 is iixedatl one end tothe rock shaft and in the rear compartment and is pivotally connected toa bracket 15 fixed on the ring 66 by an adjustable link 16. 4Anotherrock shaft 11 extends within the crank case between two cylinders of thefront bank and is pivotally front end of the rock shaft/extending intothe front compartment. The rearendof the rock shaft 11 has an arm 18fixed thereto which is connected by a link.19 to an arm 88 fixed to therock shaft 13. 'I'he front end of the rock shaft 11 has an arm 8I fixedthereto which is lconnected byv a link 82 to a bracket83 fixed on'thefront ring' 66. The\ mechanism just described isali contained within thecrankv case and will move the front ring simultaneously and uniformly`with 75 to relieve the compression in a plurality of ythe cylinderswhen the engine is of thel compressionignition type and I prefer torelieve the compression in the entire group o`f cylinders in one of thebanks through a single operation. vTo this end, the rock. levers 8| ofthe inlet valve control mechanisms for the front bank of cylinders areeach formed with a boss 85 (Fig. 6) arranged to co-operate with`|a camring 88 located adjacent ,theffront row of cams 55. Carried on the freeends of the front shaft 08 is a circular plate 81 which is secured inaxial position by the nuts 62.

The plate is formed withcurved slots 88 through which supporting pins89Le'xtend, such pins being -secured at one end to the cam ring 86 andhaving a head at the other end of larger diameter than the width of theslots 88. Secured to the cam ring is a bracket having fixed thereto abifurcated member 90 which is engaged by the arm 9| extending from abell crank 92 which is mounted upon. a stub shaft 93 extending from a.bracket 94 fixed to the front wall Il. To another arm 95 of the bellcrank is pivotally connected a rod 96 which extends rearwardly throughthe front wall I4. This rod 96 is also pivoted to a sleeve 91 (Fig. 5)which is swiveled on 'a shaft 98 extending across an opening in the wallIii,` and also pivoted to the sleeve 91 vis a rod 99 which extendsrearwardly of the crank case through the rear wall Minto the compartment5I. A link |00 is pivoted to the rod se and is slidamy mounted' pivot 98and will move the rod S5 in a reverse but parallel direction to that inwhich the rod 99 is moved. .Reciprocation of the rod 95 will rotate thebell crank 92 and the arm 9i will be rotated and move the bracket 90therewith. The cam ring 86, being iixed to the bracket 90, will be movedtherewith so that the lobes 86' on such cam ring will be brought into aposition whereby they engage the bosses 85 on the rock levers GI orwhereby they disengage the same, such movement being limited when thepins 89 reach the ends of the slots 88. As the lobes on the cam ring arebrought vinto engagement with' the rock lever bosses, theytend to rotatethe same on their pivots and, when moved in one direction, the push rodY mechanisms 31 will be moved outward radially to move the associatedintake valves and, when moved in the other direction, they will be movedthe cam ring with the-bosses on the levers 6I will hold the associatedvalve mechanism in open position so that the cam lobe 563-wil1 notengage taneously and similarly regulating the quantity.

of the fuel charges and the time of their delivery with respect to theposition of the piston in the cylinders of a multi-bank engine. It willalso be seen that I have provided mechanisms which can be controlled bya single operation for relieving the compression in the front bank ofcylinders while still allowing explosions in the rear bank ofcylinders., Bothof these mechanisms can be operated from a point remotefrom the engine so that they can be readily controlled from the cockpitof an aeroplane when the engine is used in this connection. Thecompression relieving mechanism, with the exception of the extension, iswholly enclosed within the crank case and is arranged so that it willoperate readily irrespective of the staggered relation of the Icylindersin the two banks.

Although the invention has been described in connection with a specificembodiment, the principles involved are susceptible of numerous otherapplications which will readily occur to persons skilled in the art. Theinvention is therefore to be limited only as indicated by the scope ofthe appended claims.

What I claim is:

l. In an engine having a crank case and a bank of radially extendingcylinders, each of said cylinders having a valve controlled passage, acam actuated mechanism for opening each oi the valves including a rocklever, shafts in the crank case on which the rock levers are mounted, aring member secured on the shafts, a cam ring having lobes adapted toengage the rock levers to hold the valves in open position, a movablesupport for the cam ring carried by the ring member, and means forrotatably regulating said cam ring to move' thelobes into or out ofengagement with the rock levers.

2. In an engine having a crank case and a bank of radially extendingcylinders, each of said cylindershaving' valve controlled passages, acam actuated means for holding a valve of each cylinder in openposition, a cam ring engageable with said means for holding the valvesin open position, regulating means for moving the cam ring into or outof position in which the valves are held open, a support in the crankcase for said cam ring, and movable actuator connections between the camring and the regulating means.

3. In an engine having a crank case and a bank of radially extendingcylinders, each oi' said cylinders vhaving a valve controlled passage, amechanism for opening each of the valves including'a cam actuated rocklever, shafts fixed in the crank case on which the rock levers aremounted, a ring member iixed on the shafts, said member having arcuateslots therein, a cam ring having lobes adapted to engage and lift therock levers to hold the valves open, pins vfixed to the cam'ring andextending through the slots in the ring member, and means for rotatingthe cam ring to move the lobes into or out of engagement with the rocklevers.

4. In an engine of the character described, a crank case having alignedcompartments formed by transverse walls, a bank of cylinders extendingradially from one compartment 'of the crank case, each ofsaidcylinders\having a valve conof the valves, uid mechanim each including acam operated rock lever in a compartment oi' thel l crank case. arotatably adjustable cam ring havol one bank oi' cylinders to maintainthe inlet` passages open.

8. In an engine, two banks of radially extending cylinders. each of saidcylinders having an air inlet passage. a crank shaft, pistons in thecylinders connected to the crankshalt, valve means for the air inletpassages, means operated by a moving part of the engine for moving'Asaid inlet valve means to open position, a cam ring engageable with saidinlet valve opening means associated with the cylinders inon'e bank ,tohold said opening means in open position, and means lor said valvemoving means.

. rotating said cam ring to regulate its relation with

